Mariners 10, Astros 7: Brad Miller hit the first two home runs of his major-league career and drove in five runs as visiting Seattle overcame Brandon Barnes' five-hit performance that included a cycle to extend its winning streak to a season-high four games.
Kyle Seager and Justin Smoak also went deep while Dustin Ackley added a two-run double for the Mariners, who have homered in a franchise-record 23 consecutive games. The streak is the longest in the majors since 2006, when the Atlanta Braves also had a 23-game run.
Miller, who collected seven RBIs over his first 16 career games, launched a two-run homer off Bud Norris (6-9) in the sixth inning to give Seattle a 6-2 lead. The 23-year-old completed a 10-pitch at-bat against reliever Josh Fields in the eighth with a three-run blast for a 9-3 advantage.
Joe Saunders (9-8) benefited from the power surge, recording his fourth straight victory after allowing three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Tom Wilhelmsen escaped a jam in the eighth and yielded a run in the ninth before notching his 20th save.
Barnes became the first Astro to hit for the cycle since Luke Scott in 2006, hitting a solo homer in the second inning, an RBI triple in the fourth, a single in the sixth and a double in the eighth. Barnes added an infield single in the ninth while Brett Wallace also homered and drove in three runs for Houston, which has lost six of seven overall and seven of eight at home.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Seattle's home run streak is the longest in the American League since Texas set the major-league record in 2002 with a 27-game run. ... Norris surrendered six runs on six hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander has yielded 13 runs and 17 hits over 10 2/3 frames in his last two starts. ... Barnes registered the eighth cycle in Astros history and first by a right-handed hitter since Craig Biggio in 2002.
Seattle | Houston | |
Joe Saunders | Player | Bud Norris |
Win | W/L | Loss |
5.1 | IP | 5.2 |
6 | Strikeouts | 2 |
9 | Hits | 6 |
5.06 | ERA | 9.53 |
Seattle | Houston | |
Brad Miller | Player | Brandon Barnes |
3 | Hits | 5 |
5 | RBI | 2 |
2 | HR | 1 |
9 | TB | 11 |
.600 | Avg | 1.000 |